During his press conference at the NBA Global Games in China, Adam Silver told reporters that the League and the NBPA are working towards securing a new Collective Bargaining Agreement soon.
After 2011’s lockout, the two sides signed a ten-year deal that included an opt-out for either side by December 15, 2016. If either side were to pick up that option, there would be another lockout on July 1.
According to NBA.com‘s Fran Blinebury, that most likely won’t happen. Here are Silver’s quotes from China:
“In terms of our present bargaining discussions with the players, I’d say they’re going very well and there’s been a great sense and spirit of cooperation across the table and desire to move forward.”
“There’s a sense from both the owners and the union management that there is a lot at stake here and I think everyone’s feeling the pressure from all the constituents involved in this league for all the jobs that we provide that it’s incumbent upon us to work something out and get a deal done.”
“I’m not going to put any more specific timetable on it than that,” Silver said, “but that we continue to meet. In fact, the head of the Players Association, Michele Roberts, was in Spain, where I just came from, where she was accompanying the Oklahoma City Thunder. We had an opportunity to speak there as well. So we continue to be engaged on a regular basis. I remain optimistic that we’re going to get something done relatively soon.”
h/t NBC Sports
